Wait, Did Henry Cavill Leave 'The Witcher' Because the Show Writers Hate the Books?

Conspiracy theories are inevitable when a leading actor exits a major show — particularly when that leading actor genuinely embodies the hero of a story with incredible aplomb.

So why is Henry Cavill leaving Netflix's The Witcher after Season 3? Some fans are convinced it's because The Witcher's writers hate the books.

Could that be the case? Here's what we know.

Fans of Andrzej Sapowski's original Witcher novels appreciated Henry's dedication and desire to play a book-accurate Geralt of Rivia.

Henry noted during an interview with The Philippine Star that he advocated for a more book-accurate Geralt for The Witcher Season 2, saying that, "The things that I pushed for ... it was bringing a more book-accurate Geralt to the screen ... In the books, Geralt is an amateur philosopher. He's an intellectual. He's wise and thoughtful.""

However, Henry's love for the original source material reportedly wasn't shared in the writers' room for The Witcher. As reported by The Direct (via IGN), Beau DeMayo, a former Witcher producer/writer, claimed during an Instagram Stories Q&A session that "I've been on a show — namely Witcher – where some of the writers were not [fans] or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material)."

Speculation about Henry's exit aside, the actor himself had nothing but good things to say about his Geralt replacement through an official statement shared through Netflix.

Henry said, "My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallions and my swords for Season 4."

The actor continued, "In my stead, the fantastic Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on the most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find."

Conspiracy theory about the Witcher writers hating the original books and video games aside, the most plausible explanation for Henry's exit is his decision to reprise his DC role as Superman.

However, we must reiterate that Henry has not given any other explanation for his decision to exit The Witcher after Season 3 beyond the official aforementioned statement. Anything beyond that is pure speculation so it's anyone's guess.

Do the Witcher writers actually hate the original books? The Witcher showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich said in a Twitter Q&A (via Fansided) that she wanted writers who "[were] close [to being fans of the books] but not too close. Who love the world, but aren't afraid to question it. Who are fans, but are willing to step back and open their minds."

Can fans of The Witcher open their minds to Liam Hemsworth as the new Geralt after Season 3? We'll just have to wait and see.